1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to securing hardware on a glass substrate and in particular to securing mounting hardware to the vehicle window in a manner that ensures proper positioning and orientation.
2. Technical Considerations
Automotive windows are often provided with arrangements to secure the window to mechanisms which raise and lower the window. These arrangements may include mounting brackets or frames secured to an edge of the window, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,132 to Gold; U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,179 to Horiki, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,259 to Yamagata et al., post members extending through the window, e.g. as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,908 to Londeck, et al., or other types of attachment hardware. It is important that the hardware be secured to the window at the correct location and orientation so that they are properly aligned with the window moving mechanism. This is particularly important when the window glass is curved. Variations in the glass curvature at the connection area may result in improper orientation of the attachment hardware with respect to the moving mechanism. As a result, the shape of the glass is critical at the connection area to assure installation of the hardware at the proper orientation.
It would be advantageous to provide an arrangement for securing hardware to the windows that assures its proper position and orientation despite variations in the surface curvature.
The present invention provides a fixture for securing hardware to a shaped sheet. The fixture includes supports having sheet supporting surfaces generally corresponding to a desired elevational contour of selected portions of a sheet to be supported and a holder to support hardware to be secured to the supported sheet at a predetermined location and orientation corresponding to a desired location and orientation of the hardware when secured to a sheet shaped to a desired configuration. In one particular embodiment of the invention, the sheet supporting surfaces correspond to selected marginal edge portions of the supported sheet.
The present invention also provides a method of securing hardware to a shaped sheet comprising the steps of providing a sheet supporting surface generally corresponding to a desired elevational contour of selected portions of a sheet to be supported, holding hardware to be secured to the sheet at a predetermined location and orientation corresponding to a desired location and orientation of the hardware when the hardware is secured to a sheet having a desired configuration, positioning the sheet on the sheet supporting surface such that the sheet receives the hardware while maintaining the predetermined location and orientation of the hardware, and securing the hardware to the sheet such that the hardware maintains the predetermined location and orientation. In one particular embodiment of the invention, sheet supporting surface generally corresponds to a desired elevational contour of selected marginal edge portions of the sheet to be supported and adhesives are used to secure the hardware to the shaped sheet.